June 3rd 1981 - Marvel UK, 40 years ago this week.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

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On this day in 1981, we were heading towards a mystery.

Not that we knew it at the time. But it was the day on which Shergar won the Epsom Cup.

That wasn't the mystery. A horse simply ran faster than a bunch of other horses. The mystery happened two years later when, having been put out to stud, Shergar was stolen, never to be seen again.

To this day, nobody knows what happened to him.

Except for the people who stole him.

Barry Smith makes his Daredevil debut when Hornhead finds himself under attack from Biggie Benson's killer robot - in his own gym!

As the issue kicks off, DD's wrapped up in a gym mat and it looks to be curtains for the hero.

The Black Panther's still having trouble with a villain who can't decide whether he's called Hatch-22 or The Six Million Year Man.

Whatever he's called, he's nothing but trouble.

It's the one where Spider-Man acts like a self-pitying jerk for twenty pages while saving various accident-prone marathon runners from themselves, in a bid to prevent a rumoured assassination attempt on a local big-wig.

Madame Webb offers Spidey some help but not the kind of help that's actually of any help.

We also get to see the thrill of Spider-Man and the Hulk teaming up with Woodgod.

What the Hulk's doing in his own strip, I couldn't say for certain.

I suspect he may still be in Japan and faffing around on that volcano while Glenn Talbot tries to kill him.

On top of all that, we get yet more of the Cat's very earliest adventures.

That's a very striking and effective cover for Cap.

Inside, Winghead's still in England and having to cope with the return of Baron Blood who's helping himself to the haemoglobin of everyone he can get his hands on.

Tragically, I can shed no light upon the doings of the Dazzler and the Defenders, though I'm sure the Defenders are still trapped on the planet of the Lunatiks.

Conan's out to end the rule of the king of the city populated by persons of restricted height.

But, first, he has to contend with an electric fence.

Needless to say, no mere electricity can stop Hyboria's mightiest meathead.

Meanwhile, having teamed up with ROM, the X-Men manage to inadvertently fling the space knight into Limbo.

When I say, "the X-Men," I'm pretty sure it's Kitty Pryde who's to blame.

Also, this week, we get a new tale for the Star Trek gang, and Captain Marvel's up against Stellarax whose name's misspelt on the cover.

Apparently, he's an Eternal, created by the forces of Titan, for some reason or other.

Thor's up against the nightmare horror of the Odin Force.

Sadly, it's been so long since I read this tale that I don't remember why he's doing it.

I've no doubt, though, that everyone's favourite god of thunder will triumph and order be restored.

Thinking about it, doesn't Volstagg manage to save the day, somehow, or am I just imagining that?

And, of course, the FF are still confronting the peril of Diablo.

The Hulk's rescued Betty Ross from Boomerang but, now, she's worried it's the Hulk who's going to bump her off.

No wonder she ended up in that lunatic asylum.

It's the Night of the Laughing Dead, as the Man-Thing finds himself drawn into the unhappy life of Darrel the Clown.

It's this tale I always think of whenever I think of the Man-Thing.

"Sword and Sorcery in a timeless time!" declares the front cover, nonsensically.

I would assume this issue deals with the siege of Makkalet, the shocking fate of Fafnir and the legend of the Living Tarim.

Galactus has returned to Earth!

And he wants his old herald back!

Unfortunately for the Big G, the Silver Surfer decides to escape by fleeing into the realms of Sub-Atomica.

And that means the FF have to go in there to retrieve him.

And that must surely mean an encounter with Psycho-Man is inevitable.

Spider-Man must tackle the sucker-tipped menace of the Beetle, while trying to fend off the Human Torch.

I don't remember much about the battle but am I right in thinking this tale features the first-ever appearance by Mary Jane Watson, albeit with her face hidden by a flower?

Also, that there's some sort of love rivalry going on between Betty Brant and Liz Allan?

The X-Men trade blows with the Avengers when both teams set out to clobber the fiend known as Lucifer.

Also, it appears Professor X returns, having replaced his wheelchair with what seems to be a tank.

In the book's second story, having survived its scraps with the Avengers and Lucifer, the team goes on to have its first encounter with Ka-Zar and the Savage Land.

The cover's from Journey into Mystery #89 in which a bunch of gangsters kidnap Don Blake and Jane Foster, demanding the pair treat their injured leader.

However, I'm not convinced that's what's actually inside this comic, as that'd mean Marvel UK is printing stories out of sequence and I'm sure they'd never do such a thing.

Moon Knight finds himself facing the Mind Thieves when he's caught up in a chain of inexplicable events.

Then, the Lethal Ladies series presents Lady Daemon who I suspect will be rather darker than Lady Cop.

In it, a sorceress joins a battle between the forces of good and evil as embodied by two sisters.

Blade's still fighting the Vampire Legion.

And, apparently, the Death Master's on the trail of Night Raven, which sounds like bad news for the enigmatic hero.

On some planet or other, Leia becomes engaged to a king called Denid, much to the annoyance of Luke who still has the hots for her.

Erm, anyway...

But things only get worse for Luke, as someone or other decides to chase him around a forest, with a gun, trying to blast him into oblivion.

Killraven's still in the Herb Trimpe era and he and M'Shulla are in a New York river, trying to down a Martian tripod, with their bare hands.

Meanwhile, the Warlord's still plotting to smash our plucky band of adventurers with his literally iron fist.

And, by the issue's end, it looks like he's going to manage it.

In this month's tale of the Watcher, a man's desperately trying to make those around him realise an alien creature's on the loose in their midst.

It's going to turn out to be him, isn't it? It'll turn out he's got amnesia and has forgotten he's an alien. That's how such stories always end.

Yet another Marvel UK monthly hits the newsstands - and it's one I'd never previously heard of.

In this sensational first issue, the Inhumans are about to encounter the horror of the Kaptroids. Or, as my dad always insisted on calling them, "The Kraptoids."

We also get the origin of Iron Fist, and an Omega the Unknown tale called Welcome to Hell's Kitchen. 

This book seems destined to last for just nine issues, which, given the strips it features, is perhaps not a great shock.

Tom Baker may have left the show but there's no getting him out of the magazine, as it gives us a review of his final adventure Logopolis and a retrospective of Image of the Fendahl which I'm pretty sure co-starred Dominic Cumberbatch's mum.

We also get a new comic strip called The Deal.

On top of that is a look at the Blackpool and Longleat Doctor Who exhibitions. The former of which I visited twice in my youth.

There's a look at the sometime Doctor Who director Peter Grimwade, while a monsters' gallery profiles some of the more popular aliens who've tried to invade the Earth.

If all that isn't enough to satisfy any reader, the back cover features a pin-up of Leela looking like she's ready to murder us all.

The Avengers find themselves battling the Bloodhawk, a villain I've struggled to retain any knowledge of.

They also find themselves battling the Stinger, a foe I've retained even less knowledge of.

And, speaking of stingers, the Champions must battle the nightmarish colony of Nazi war criminal bees the world knows as Swarm.

The original X-Men, meanwhile, find themselves, once more, up against the ferrous felony of Magneto.

What's that you cry? "One new title per month isn't enough for us. We need two!"? 

If so, you've got your wish, as the company inflicts yet another new mag upon us.

This time, it's Marvel Madhouse which is, clearly, an opportunity to use up a load of old Stan Lee and Marie Severin humour material, with the odd dash of Jack Kirby thrown in.

Conan's now reached part 3 of The Treasure of Tranicos which appears to involve him and a bunch of other people blundering around in a cave full of corpses, in search of treasure.

It does pose a question. Conan's always trying to get his hands on treasure - and usually succeeds. So, what does he do with it when he gets it? He clearly doesn't carry it all around with him and he seems to have no worldly goods, apart from a sword and a loincloth. We know he goes for the odd drink and possibly hires the odd lady of the night but that wouldn't use up the vast reserves of treasure he must have acquired over the years.

So, where does he keep his wealth and what does he even want it for?

Issue #34 of everyone's favourite sci-fi monthly takes a look at The Howling and For Your Eyes Only.

We also get a look at the special effects of Outland, news of The Monster Club, Inseminoid and The Son of Frankenstein.

On top of all that, we're treated to a retrospective on 2001: A Space Odyssey.

I cannot find a cover for Young Romance pocket book #8 anywhere online.

Nor can I unearth any information about what's in it.

I'm assuming it's as filled with teary young women who discover that love brings nothing but misery as always.

And Frantic celebrates its 16th issue by also being nowhere to be found on the internet.

Therefore, I can shed no light upon its, no doubt, hilarious contents.